For centuries, poets and philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks and trees; Wordsworth composed while tromping over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. Intrigued by our storied renewal in the natural world, Florence Williams sets out to uncover the science behind nature's positive effects on the brain.

4 out of 5 stars

Yes!...and No!

By
Paul
on
03-18-17

The Final Frontiersman

Heimo Korth and His Family, Alone in Alaska's Arctic Wilderness

By:
James Campbell

Narrated by:
Dan Woren

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
690

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
625

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
623

Hundreds of hardy people have tried to carve a living in the Alaskan bush, but few have succeeded as consistently as Heimo Korth. Originally from Wisconsin, Heimo traveled to the Arctic wilderness in his feverous 20s. Now, more than four decades later, Heimo lives with his wife approximately 200 miles from civilization - a sustainable, nomadic life bounded by the migrating caribou, the dangers of swollen rivers, and the very exigencies of daily existence.

5 out of 5 stars

Freedom.

By
C. Kalvin
on
07-06-17

The Drug Hunters

The Improbable Quest to Discover New Medicines

By:
Ogi Ogas PhD,
Donald R. Kirsch PhD

Narrated by:
James Foster

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
775

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
711

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
711

The search to find medicines is as old as disease, which is to say as old as the human race. Through serendipity - by chewing, brewing, and snorting - some Neolithic souls discovered opium, alcohol, snakeroot, juniper, frankincense, and other helpful substances. Ötzi the Iceman, the 5,000-year-old hunter frozen in the Italian Alps, was found to have whipworms in his intestines and Bronze Age medicine, a worm-killing birch fungus, knotted to his leggings.

3 out of 5 stars

Aargh!

By
Curmud the prof
on
05-20-17

Goodbye, Things

The New Japanese Minimalism

By:
Fumio Sasaki,
Eriko Sugita - translator

Narrated by:
Keith Szarabajka

Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,072

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,875

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,858

Fumio Sasaki is not an enlightened minimalism expert or organizing guru like Marie Kondo - he's just a regular guy who was stressed out and constantly comparing himself to others, until one day he decided to change his life by saying goodbye to everything he didn't absolutely need. The effects were remarkable: Sasaki gained true freedom, new focus, and a real sense of gratitude for everything around him.

5 out of 5 stars

Practical , Deep and Self-Reflection

By
Anonymous User
on
05-11-17

The Year of the Hare

A Novel

By:
Arto Paasilinna

Narrated by:
Simon Vance

Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
887

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
794

Story

4 out of 5 stars
793

Vatanen, a journalist, is feeling burned out and sick of the city. One summer evening, he and a photographer set out on an assignment, and as they drive through the country, the car hits a young hare. Vatanen leaves the car to save the injured creature, and the grateful animal adopts him. This small incident becomes a turning point in Vatanen’s life as he decides to break free from the world’s constraints.

3 out of 5 stars

Lost in translation

By
Janice
on
11-03-17

It Takes Two

Our Story

By:
Jonathan Scott,
Drew Scott

Narrated by:
Drew Scott,
Jonathan Scott

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
275

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
247

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
249

It Takes Two: Our Story shares never-before-revealed tales of the Scott brothers' childhood and rise to fame - from starting their first business at seven years old and their years modeling and acting to their first house purchase at the impressive young age of 18. They soon found their true passion in life, combining their natural gifts for entertaining with the skills they learned from buying, renovating, and selling homes.

5 out of 5 stars

loved it

By
Steve
on
10-27-17

The Nature Fix

Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

By:
Florence Williams

Narrated by:
Emily Woo Zeller

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
426

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
390

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
386

For centuries, poets and philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks and trees; Wordsworth composed while tromping over the heath; Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. Intrigued by our storied renewal in the natural world, Florence Williams sets out to uncover the science behind nature's positive effects on the brain.

4 out of 5 stars

Yes!...and No!

By
Paul
on
03-18-17

The Final Frontiersman

Heimo Korth and His Family, Alone in Alaska's Arctic Wilderness

By:
James Campbell

Narrated by:
Dan Woren

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
690

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
625

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
623

Hundreds of hardy people have tried to carve a living in the Alaskan bush, but few have succeeded as consistently as Heimo Korth. Originally from Wisconsin, Heimo traveled to the Arctic wilderness in his feverous 20s. Now, more than four decades later, Heimo lives with his wife approximately 200 miles from civilization - a sustainable, nomadic life bounded by the migrating caribou, the dangers of swollen rivers, and the very exigencies of daily existence.

5 out of 5 stars

Freedom.

By
C. Kalvin
on
07-06-17

The Drug Hunters

The Improbable Quest to Discover New Medicines

By:
Ogi Ogas PhD,
Donald R. Kirsch PhD

Narrated by:
James Foster

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
775

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
711

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
711

The search to find medicines is as old as disease, which is to say as old as the human race. Through serendipity - by chewing, brewing, and snorting - some Neolithic souls discovered opium, alcohol, snakeroot, juniper, frankincense, and other helpful substances. Ötzi the Iceman, the 5,000-year-old hunter frozen in the Italian Alps, was found to have whipworms in his intestines and Bronze Age medicine, a worm-killing birch fungus, knotted to his leggings.

3 out of 5 stars

Aargh!

By
Curmud the prof
on
05-20-17

Goodbye, Things

The New Japanese Minimalism

By:
Fumio Sasaki,
Eriko Sugita - translator

Narrated by:
Keith Szarabajka

Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,072

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,875

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,858

Fumio Sasaki is not an enlightened minimalism expert or organizing guru like Marie Kondo - he's just a regular guy who was stressed out and constantly comparing himself to others, until one day he decided to change his life by saying goodbye to everything he didn't absolutely need. The effects were remarkable: Sasaki gained true freedom, new focus, and a real sense of gratitude for everything around him.

5 out of 5 stars

Practical , Deep and Self-Reflection

By
Anonymous User
on
05-11-17

The Year of the Hare

A Novel

By:
Arto Paasilinna

Narrated by:
Simon Vance

Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
887

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
794

Story

4 out of 5 stars
793

Vatanen, a journalist, is feeling burned out and sick of the city. One summer evening, he and a photographer set out on an assignment, and as they drive through the country, the car hits a young hare. Vatanen leaves the car to save the injured creature, and the grateful animal adopts him. This small incident becomes a turning point in Vatanen’s life as he decides to break free from the world’s constraints.

3 out of 5 stars

Lost in translation

By
Janice
on
11-03-17

It Takes Two

Our Story

By:
Jonathan Scott,
Drew Scott

Narrated by:
Drew Scott,
Jonathan Scott

Length: 6 hrs and 4 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
275

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
247

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
249

It Takes Two: Our Story shares never-before-revealed tales of the Scott brothers' childhood and rise to fame - from starting their first business at seven years old and their years modeling and acting to their first house purchase at the impressive young age of 18. They soon found their true passion in life, combining their natural gifts for entertaining with the skills they learned from buying, renovating, and selling homes.

5 out of 5 stars

loved it

By
Steve
on
10-27-17

The Willpower Instinct

How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of It

By:
Kelly McGonigal Ph.D.

Narrated by:
Walter Dixon

Length: 8 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
6,963

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
5,935

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
5,844

Based on Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal's wildly popular course
The Science of Willpower,The Willpower Instinct is the first book to explain the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity. Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine,
The Willpower Instinct explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters.

4 out of 5 stars

Research based guide to improve willpower

By
Neuron
on
05-27-13

Light Falls

Space, Time, and an Obsession of Einstein

By:
Brian Greene

Narrated by:
Brian Greene,
Paul Rudd,
Peter Ganim,
and others

Length: 2 hrs and 26 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,010

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,858

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,858

Best-selling author, superstar physicist, and cofounder of the World Science Festival Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe, The Fabric of the Cosmos) and an ensemble cast led by award-winning actor Paul Rudd (Ant-Man) perform this dramatic story tracing Albert Einstein's discovery of the general theory of relativity.

5 out of 5 stars

An enjoyable deviation from standard Non-Fiction

By
Heath N. Threm
on
10-25-16

Ask More

The Power of Questions to Open Doors, Uncover Solutions, and Spark Change

By:
Frank Sesno,
Wolf Blitzer - foreword

Narrated by:
Frank Sesno,
Wolf Blitzer

Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
487

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
437

Story

4 out of 5 stars
433

What hidden skill links successful people in all walks of life? What helps them make smart decisions? The answer is surprisingly simple: They know how to ask the right questions at the right time. Questions help us break down barriers, discover secrets, solve puzzles, and imagine new ways of doing things. But few of us know how to question in a methodical way. Emmy-award-winning journalist and media expert Frank Sesno aims to change that with
Ask More.

4 out of 5 stars

Good questioning techniques to gain knowledge

By
Michael
on
03-02-17

Abundance

The Future Is Better Than You Think

By:
Steven Kotler,
Peter H. Diamandis

Narrated by:
Arthur Morey

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
3,228

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,771

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,762

We will soon be able to meet and exceed the basic needs of every man, woman, and child on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp. This bold, contrarian view, backed up by exhaustive research, introduces our near-term future, where exponentially growing technologies and three other powerful forces are conspiring to better the lives of billions of people. This book is an antidote to pessimism by tech-entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler.

5 out of 5 stars

Hope with Confidence

By
Dan
on
07-25-12

Stop Saying You're Fine

Discover a More Powerful You

By:
Mel Robbins

Narrated by:
Joyce Bean

Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
803

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
711

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
713

Right now, over 100 million Americans secretly feel frustrated and bored with their lives. If you've come to regard yourself as your own worst enemy; if you constantly daydream and wonder, "Is this all there is?"; if you have a tendency, when asked how you're doing, to just say "Fine," you may be one of them. If this sounds familiar, there's clearly something missing from your life. This book will help you discover what it is, and how to win it back.

3 out of 5 stars

STOP and buy The Five Second Rule instead.

By
Ryan Healey
on
07-19-17

The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness

By:
Paula Poundstone

Narrated by:
Paula Poundstone

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
718

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
677

Story

4 out of 5 stars
672

Is there a secret to happiness? Beloved comedian Paula Poundstone conducts a series of "thoroughly unscientific" experiments to find out, offering herself up as a guinea pig and recording her data for the benefit of all humankind. Armed with her unique brand of self-deprecating wit and the scientific method, in each chapter Paula tries out a different get-happy hypothesis.

5 out of 5 stars

Contemplative, with bursts of laughter

By
Diana
on
05-15-17

The Midwife's Revolt

By:
Jodi Daynard

Narrated by:
Julia Whelan

Length: 12 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,871

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,611

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,592

On a dark night in 1775, Lizzie Boylston is awakened by the sound of cannons. From a hill south of Boston, she watches as fires burn in Charlestown, in a battle that she soon discovers has claimed her husband's life.

5 out of 5 stars

Bravo

By
Angela
on
11-20-15

The Finest Hours

The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Most Daring Sea Rescue

By:
Michael J. Tougias,
Casey Sherman

Narrated by:
Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 5 hrs and 56 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
1,495

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,366

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,369

In the winter of 1952, New England was battered by the most brutal nor’easter in years. As the weather wreaked havoc on land, the freezing Atlantic became a wind-whipped zone of peril, setting the stage for one of the most heroic rescue stories ever lived. On February 18, while the storm raged, two oil tankers, the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer, were in the same horrifying predicament. Built with “dirty steel,” and not prepared to withstand such ferocious seas, both tankers split in two, leaving the dozens of men on board utterly at the Atlantic’s mercy.

5 out of 5 stars

Everyone should read this.

By
mtkto
on
01-13-17

Running Like a Girl

Notes on Learning to Run

By:
Alexandra Heminsley

Narrated by:
Elizabeth Sastre

Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
519

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
479

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
479

Until five years ago, Alexandra Heminsley was decidedly not a runner. Nor was she athletic in any sense of the word. She was an ordinary, curvy woman who was convinced that sports of any kind, especially running, were beyond her. But she's made running part of her life, and gets to reap the rewards: not just the obvious things, like a touch of weight loss, health and glowing skin, but self-belief, and immeasurable daily pleasure.

3 out of 5 stars

Meh... not what I thought...

By
Maria
on
12-03-14

What We Find

By:
Robyn Carr

Narrated by:
Therese Plummer

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,442

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,224

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,217

Between the urban bustle of Denver and the high-stress environment of a career in neurosurgery, Maggie Sullivan has hit a wall. When an emergency high-risk procedure results in the death of a teenager, Maggie finds herself in the middle of a lawsuit - and experiencing levels of anxiety she's never faced before. She knows she needs to slow down before she burns out completely, and the best place she can think to do that is Sullivan's Crossing.

4 out of 5 stars

Overall, Enjoyable Read

By
Melstamps
on
04-27-16

I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t)

Telling the Truth about Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power

By:
Brené Brown

Narrated by:
Lauren Fortgang

Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,168

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,816

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,791

Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we're all in this together.

3 out of 5 stars

I'm sure its great if you are a mother ....

By
Leslie A Hill
on
08-09-11

Wicked Plants

The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities

By:
Amy Stewart

Narrated by:
Coleen Marlo

Length: 4 hrs and 28 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
771

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
697

Story

3.5 out of 5 stars
695

Beware! The sordid lives of plants behaving badly. A tree that sheds poison daggers; a glistening red seed that stops the heart; a shrub that causes paralysis; a vine that strangles; and a leaf that triggered a war. Amy Stewart, best-selling author of
Flower Confidential, takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend.

4 out of 5 stars

Grows on You Like Kudzu

By
Cynthia
on
04-23-13

Publisher's Summary

A New York Times and USA Today best seller.

For the first time, Nicole Curtis, the star of the megahit HGTV and DIY Network show Rehab Addict, reveals her private struggles, her personal victories, and the inspiring lessons we can all learn from them.

Nicole Curtis is the tough, soulful, charismatic dynamo who, for the past 20 years, has worked tirelessly to restore historical houses, often revitalizing neighborhoods in the process. And also in the process drawing millions of fans to her television show, Rehab Addict, where they follow each step of the hard work and singular vision that transform the seemingly lost cause of a run-down building into a beautifully restored home.

But there is so much more to this self-taught expert and working mom. With her signature irresistible honesty and energy, Curtis writes about a project that every listener will find compelling: how she rehabbed herself. Better Than New reveals what's not seen on TV - Curtis' personal battles and her personal triumphs, her complicated relationships, her life as a single mother, the story of how she got started remodeling houses, and the consuming ins and outs of producing a megahit television show while keeping up with two kids, two rescue dogs, and countless tasks on her home renovation punch lists. Followers of the show will get an inside look at some of her most famous restorations, including the Dollar house, the Minnehaha house, the Campbell Street project, and the Ransom Gillis mansion.

Part inspirational memoir and part self-help guide, Better Than New is a journey in eight chapters - each pinned to the story of a house that Curtis has remodeled, each delivering a hard-fought lesson about life - that takes listeners to the place we all want to be: home.

As fans of her show can attest, Nicole is totally unscripted, and this audiobook - featuring extensive new material exclusive to the audio edition - is no exception.

Really Good Listen!!

I would definitely listen to this again! Nicole is a strait shooter and she reminds us the most important thing in life is our family!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

She made me laugh at times and cry at others. I rode the emotional roller coaster with her from her early naive life in Florida, her struggles to make money while making lots of mistakes, and on to her pain when she knew it was the last time she would see her grandmother. I'm actually tearing up writing about that.

Any additional comments?

I loved her honesty and fast talk. She's knows how to sit back, take some time and figure out the problem when most of us would quit. I shared this book with family to inspire them to never give up.

Amazing

Great job Nicole! I was hooked. This was a half day almost continual listen. You have inspired me more than you know. Blessings to you and your boys! They hold your hand for a while but your heart for a lifetime! Great book.

Refreshing and real!

This book was just what I needed while I was going through my divorce. No, it's not a book about relationships, but hearing Nicole talk about her own life, relationships, and getting back on her feet time and time again was inspiring!

Full of Heart <3

It was wonderful learning more about Nicole and the events that helped make her who she is. I love memoirs and hearing all of the the realities of personal successes and struggles. Her story is so touching, and I could hear the emotion in her voice. I found myself in tears several times and also cheering for her successes. She is a fantastic narrator - it feels like you are in a conversation and she is just talking to you, as opposed to reading words off a page. I am so glad I got the audio version of this book. Definitely recommend this book!

Feel-good Rah Rah

So, this is on me for not reading carefully the review before I ordered this audiobook, but I was expecting something about tips and tricks and what to look for when renovating houses, as well as distilled anecdotes about her experience (I've never seen her show). Instead, it's basically just an autobiography about someone that I don't particularly find that interesting. This might be good for a fan of the Nicole Curtis or her show (apparently, there are many), but don't expect much more than vanilla otherwise.